‘Lazarus’ #1: The Comic You Should Be Reading This Week

Greg Rucka is back with Lazarus, a blend of science fiction and superheroics. A full review is under the cut, along with a look at some notable books from DC, Dark Horse, IDW, and Valiant.

Lazarus takes place in a world that’ll be familiar to cyberpunk fans: The world is divided along financial lines, into Families. The comparisons you might draw to the Mafia from reading that are not coincidental: Each Family runs their fiefdoms with an iron fist, and has an enforcer, a Lazarus, a member of the Family who has the most cutting-edge technology and training. That manifests itself, in the opening, with our heroine, Eve, getting up from taking a few bullets and killing some thieves single-handedly.

One problem: The thieves were foraging for food. In a guest house Eve’s Family never uses. And Eve is a bit morally conflicted about whether or not she should kill people who are simply struggling to survive.

What works about Rucka’s script is that while we’ve seen this concept before, Eve is a sharply drawn character. She’s a superhero, of a sort, but she takes no pleasure in her work, and it’s fairly clear this moral confusion is only going to get stronger.

It’s well-complimented by Michael Lark’s art. Lark draws in a realistic, detailed style and does a lot with his inks to amply with his pencils. It’s not a showy book, artistically, but Lark and Santi Arcas, the colorist, do a superb job of presenting a future world that feels real and lived in, and defining a sense of place in the book.

In short, it’s a strong, defined launch from a great writer and artist, and we’re looking forward to where the book goes next.

But what else should you add to your pull list this week? Here’s a look at some other books on the stands, and we’ve got, as usual, the full release list at the end of the slideshow.

Matt Fraction and David Aja take… a different angle on their superb and justly beloved run on the book. You need to go into this issue cold, and only those who have been reading so far will really have a handle on what’s going on, but Fraction’s writing, and Aja’s playful art, make this issue a gem even by Hawkeye standards.

If you’re a fan of Keith Giffen, or J.M. DeMatteis, this book was probably on your radar well before it came out. Nobody handles space opera or comedy like these two, and this book launches with a pretty hilarious look at the single most greedy, self-centered, self-serving jerk in the entire DCU. Larfleeze relates his origin, even as his “butler” snarks him to hell and back, and we rapidly learn two things: Larfleeze is an ass, and Giffen and DeMatteis are not going to make any apologies for his behavior.

Good. This is an odd, quirky book, especially from DC, and it’s a nice change of pace. We can genuinely say we’ve got no idea where this will go next… but we can’t wait to find out.

This Fables crossover is best gone into cold; suffice to say, where Tom Taylor goes (or, rather, is dragged against his will) is not going to sit well with him at all when he finally snaps out of it. Also, it must be said that Mike Carey does a superb job of blending the two books; his Bigby, for example, is note-perfect.

Greg Pak and Jae Lee essentially take Batman and Superman on a trip through time. This opening issue is interesting, not least because it opens with Clark Kent hunting down Bruce Wayne, in a nice moment that pays tribute to Batman: Year One, but it feels like the book is holding back a bit for future issues, and Jae Lee’s art, gorgeous though it is, is a little abstract for the proceedings. Not a bad launch but we’re on the fence if it’s worth adding to your sub pile.

I’m still a bit on the fence about this book. It’s engagingly goofy to some degree; the basic concept, of really rich teenagers becoming crime-fighters, is a little goofy in of itself. And there are some good ideas here, from one-off gags to far-ranging plot threads. The main problem is really that Mo, the most sympathetic character, has literally nothing to do except run away and serve as the guy who asks exposition questions: It’s a weird choice considering the book focuses on him. Still, it’s some fun superheroics and, again, something a little different from DC.

Scott Snyder’s underwater horror story continues to unfold. If there’s a problem here, it’s that the opening and ending of the book are great and the middle is crammed with a lot of exposition; Snyder wants us up to speed on the aquatic ape theory and the presence of mermen in folklore. It’s interesting stuff, but we kind of want more disturbing fish-creatures and shark fights.

I’ve never liked Guy Gardner. Part of that is that DC never has known quite how to characterize him. Is he a frat-boy jackass? A mindless bruiser? A sensitive soul dedicated to public service?

That said, Charles Soule comes closest to making Guy consistent: He’s the one who never measures up, the one always being underestimated, the one people only begrudgingly acknowledge under pressure is actually pretty good at his job. As such, this book makes sense, although it also lays the groundwork for, as you may have guessed, things going horribly wrong. Alessandro Vitti’s art is up to the job, and the net result is an interesting take on a tough character.

Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes largely focus this issue on Madame Xanadu, lingering on what she has to give up and the sometimes awful choices she has to make. It’s a strong issue, and it leads into Trinity War, but if you’re not attached to the character, it may be hard to see what makes this issue so distinct.

It’s taken a little while to warm up, but Geoff Johns’ mix of superheroics and political thriller is starting to pay off in certain ways. The fact that Johns can make something like the Secret Society of Super-Villains actually make sense in the context of the New 52 is an achievement in of itself, but he also demonstrates just why this team works, as a team. Now the question becomes, where does the book go from here?

You might think “I’ve played the game, what more do I need to know?” Quite a lot, actually. This book, by Neil Druckmann and Faith Erin Hicks, fills in the backstory of Ellie beautifully, and with the game out, it’s a wonderful companion piece that can stand on its own as a great story.

It’s not Brian Wood’s work in the ongoing, but Timothy Truman and Tomas Giorello are handing in some good pulpy fun with this series. It’s the kind of book where Conan crushes a man’s skull with one punch, and the art shows his eye popping out in lurid detail. If you like your dialogue florid, or are a fan of the ’70s Conan comics, this will be right up your alley.

The classic, Lovecraftian nature of this book really comes to the fore with this issue. Gabriel Ba has offered some gorgeous art throughout this, but it’s the massive fight that anchors the book that really lets him show off some beautiful work. That it’s very much a Lovecraft story, in the best possible way, is just icing on the cake.

Justin Aclin turns a mashup of video games, folklore, and Japanese history into a fairly interesting, or at least fun, comic book, substantially better than the game it’s based on, in fact. It’s not as strong as the first issue, but it’s still a genuinely engaging book.

This stew of steampunk, fantasy tropes, and intrigue probably shouldn’t work. But it does, partially because Steve Horton has a light touch with the writing, and Michael Dialynas is just enjoying himself on the art so much. These two are having the time of their lives drawing this comic, and it shines through.

After a low-key arc this book kicks into high gear. It’s a mix of two stories: One about what happened to America after the Crash, and one about trying to find a serious ticked-off Russian with a nuclear submarine. Oh, and the United States Navy is involved. In short, now’s a good time to pick up this book.

Matt Kindt’s story of psychics and intrigue continues to be a delight, but the less said about this climactic book, the better. This finishes Book Two, and we can’t wait for Book Three.

Chris Mowry and Matt Frank know you really can’t go wrong with having the classic Godzilla show up to beat the crap out of the gecko that starred in the ’90s remake. That said, this book is a bit generic compared to some of IDW’s other offerings, like Godzilla: Half-Century War, but it has some promise.

This one-shot is, for two stories, more or less exactly what you’d expect. Until you get to Neil Kleid and Carlos Valenzuela’s version of Robinson Crusoe, which dumps the concept of parody entirely and instead puts a Martian into the classic story. It’s a tense, disturbing character study of an evil creature falling apart, and by the end, you have genuine sympathy for it. The one-shot is fairly standard beyond that, but this is worth getting for that story alone.

The Planet Death story arc pays off with a bang. This entire story has been surprisingly willing to deal with the religious implications of a Visigoth running around in a suit of armor worshiped by an alien race, and that comes out in some… interesting ways in Robert Venditti’s wrap-up. It’s a strong, unique story and worth reading.

MCFARLAND
Doctor Who In Time And Space Essays On Themes Characters History And Fandom 1963-2012 SC, $45.00
Graphic Novels And Comics In The Classroom SC, $45.00
Television Westerns Episode Guide All United States Series 1949-1996 SC, $39.95
Women Of Hammer Horror HC, $49.95

Also, Age of Ultron A. I. was actually really good. As a big Hank Pym fan, I’m hoping that Avengers AI takes that sort of tenore. Its the only book from this week that I’ve read already and It makes me hopeful for the upcoming book (More hopeful if it were actually writted by Waid, and not humphries, who’s been very hit or miss for me.)

Just want to say thanks for putting this out on a weekly basis. I’m 44 & stopped collecting around 20 years ago, but I recently got back into it in Nov/Dec last year. I was a big Iron Man and X-Men fan in the 80’s/90’s and it’s been exciting to see how things have changed in Marvel lore. I’ve also enjoyed many of the new independent titles (Battlestar Galactica, Suicide Risk, Dresden Files) and appreciate the reviews as I’d probably not give things like Lazarus a second looks without reading this. My thanks – keep up the good work.

This was a great week, so many titles. Lazarus was good, but I think I enjoyed The Wake more. Disagree with you about the folklore stuff, I’d take that as the focus over the actual water battles any day. I can’t wait for what’s next, is this supposed to be an ongoing or a limited series?

I really thought I was going to hate Bendis on Guardians of the Galaxy, but man that book is just downright fun. Uncanny X-Men was pretty great also, but I’m a sucker for the Limbo/Hell dimensions, or any Magik story in general.

Remender’s Captain America has been a delight throughout its whole run, and that last page is going to have some real consequences moving forward.